Fence-post



S. HICKS.

FENGE ros'r.

(No Model.)

No. 331,969. Patented Dec. 8, 1885.

INVENTOR WITNESSES ATTORN YS.

N. PETERS. Phmo-mtw m mr. washm lm. D (I.

SAMUEL HICKS, OF ORANGEVILLE, INDIANA.

FENCE-POST.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 331,969, dated December 8, 1885.

Serial No. 172,875. (No model.)

To all whom, it may concern:

Be it known that I, SAMUEL HIcKs, of Orangeville, in the county of Orange and State of Indiana, have invented a new and Improved Fence-Post, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification, in which similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in both the figures.

Figure 1 is a perspective view of my llllproved fence-post, and Fig. 2 is a side elevation showing the fence-rails in section.

The object of myinvention is to provide an inexpensive, easily constructed metal fencepost having great rigidity and but little weight.

My invention consists in the combination,

with a rod forming the central portion of the i post, of a brace formed of a rod bent spirally in the middle of its length to form an eye for receiving the end forming the central portion of the post, the bracerod being bent downward and outward away from the central rod, then bent twice near the ends to form shoulders to rest on the ground, and flattened at the extremities, which are to be inserted in the ground.

A rod, A, of iron or other suitable material, forms the central part of the post to which are secured the wires or rods G. forming the panels of the fence. A rod, B, bent spirally in the middle of its length to form an eye, 0, for receiving the rod A, is also bent downward and outward away from the rod A on each side thereof, each arm of the brace forming with the rod A an angle of about twenty-five degrees. The rod B, near its ends, is bent outwardly away from the central rod, A, forming shoulders D, which lie in a plane l at right angles with the said rod A. The extremities F of the rod B are bent downward and inclined slightly inward toward the central rod, A.

When the post is to be used in hard ground, the rod A is driven down vertically into the earth and the eye Got the braceis placed on the rod, the flattened extremities F of the rod B being either driven into the earth or set in holes with the earth tamped around them. When the central part of the'post and the brace are set, the shoulder D will rest on the surface of the earth.

When the post is set in soft ground, bearing-plates E are placed under the shoulders D, to afford increased resistance to the thrusts of the brace. The bearingplates E are apertured to receive the rod B, and are secured to the said rod by staples.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. In a fence-post, the combinatiomwith the central rod. A, ofa brace formed ofa rod, B, bent spirally in the middle of its length, forming an eye, 0, the said brace being bent downward and outward away from the rod A on each side thereof and having shoulders D and flattened ends F, substantially as herein specified.

Witnesses:

JOHN A. CAMPBELL, ALBERT N. ELVoEs.

2. In a fencepost. the combination of the 

